Of Masks and Roses
by TheImaginativeOne
Summary: Scarlet Moore was your typical POTO fan, but nothing prepared her for this. After a terrible accident, she ends up in the POTO universe. Will she get back? Or will she die at the hands of the Phantom? Read and find out. No hate, appreciate! R&R please!
1. The Accident

"Come on Scarlet or we'll miss the movie!" my friend Emily called, running to the popcorn line.

"I'm coming!" I shouted as the cashier handed me back the change, and I quickly pocketed it. I ran over to Emily handed her the rest of the money.

"I'll go ahead and grab us some seats. You get the popcorn, okay?" she nodded and i ran off to find where the movie was playing at.

The movie was called _the Phantom of the Opera_ and it was playing in our theater as one of the re-runs. Every Saturday, the movie theater plays old movies, or classics. The movies range to _The Wizard of Oz _to _A Christmas Story _and more. And this Saturday they were going to play _The Phantom of the Opera, _one of my favorite movies. I wouldn't really call it a classic or an old movie, but, hey, at least i get to see it on the big screen one more time.

My name is Scarlet Moore and i am 22 years old. I have blue eyes and I have long brown hair that goes down to my mid-back. Currently, I am wearing blue jeans, a plain blue shirt and my favorite red sneakers and I am a huge _Phantom of the Opera _fan, along with my friend Emily.

Emily is also 22 years old. She has short blond hair that goes down to her shoulders and green eyes. Unlike me, she is one to dress up, for tonight she was wearing a short sun dress, that looked to be as if it were made out of flowers. If you squinted your eyes, she'd look like she's wearing a rainbow.

"Aha!" I exclaimed as I finally spotted _The Phantom of the Opera _title above double doors. I smiled as I rushed inside and looked for a seat. There were not many people here. Maybe 10 at the most. I quickly, but quietly walked up the stairs to the middle of the theater and turned town the middle row. I grabbed a seat and sat down, looking up at the large screen, where a bunch of trivia questions were playing.

After five minutes, Emily arrived with the popcorn.

"Did you put extra butter in it?" I asked as she handed me the box.

"You bet I did." she whispered as she sat down.

"Good." I mumbled back as I popped a few in my mouth.

"Hey!" Emily whisper shouted, "Save it for the movie!"

"I am!" I whisper shouted back as the previews started.

XxX

"Oh my gosh that was such a good movie!" Emily shouted as we left the theater.

"Agreed," I replied as I finished off the last of the popcorn, throwing the now empty bag into a garbage can.

"Hey, want to come stay at my house tonight? I just went shopping yesterday." Emily asked as we reached my car.

"You have food? You bet your ass I do!" I laughed as I got into the vehicle.

"Good, because guess what I have?" she asked me as she got in on the other side.

"What?"

"MORE POPCORN."

I laughed as I turned the keys to the ignition, feeling the car start up, "Oh, Emily, you're a saint."

"I know," she grinned and stuck out her tongue playfully, "I kinda owe you. You paid for the movie and all." I nodded as we pulled out and left the parking lot.

"Yeah, it's so expensive! And to think that it used to be a nickle!"

"I wish it was a nickle."

"Amen to that."

For a majority of the drive, we were silent. Her house was 3 miles away to it was going to be a while. We don't live in a big town, but since everyone is so scattered out, we appear to be one.

"Hey, Scarlet?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever wanted to help the Phantom? And help him get Christine?

"Yeah, sometimes. But I also want to help him with his whole emotional issues too. I mean, he never deserved any of that. How he's been pushed away all of his life. How he was tortured. How he was betrayed. All because of his face. He doesn't deserve it. No one does."

"Yeah. I just wanna punch Christine in the face for being such a prick to him. Or something."

I hummed in reply as we stopped at a red light. I sighed and relaxed a bit, never have been fond of driving. But it's the easiest way to get around.

"Hey, what was the Phantoms real name again?" Emily wondered, turning to me.

"Erik Destler." I said as the light turned green and I slowly stepped on the gas.

"Okay good, cause i couldn't- LOOK OUT!"

Just to the left out of the corner of my vision, I saw the car advance on us quickly. I knew we were going to crash, we were too close to each other.

Then everything seamed to wind down, as if we were in slow motion. The car, a red truck was just an inch away from mine, towering over us like a skyscraper. Eyes wide, I looked up at the driver, who had his eyes closed, one hand on the wheel and in the other a beer bottle, which he was drinking heavily from. He wasn't wearing a seatbealt.

And then I felt it, the moment when the front of his car touched the left side of mine, and time came back to us, as if it never slowed down.

His truck rammed into mine, smashing the back window and glass rained down. I felt us slide as his car pushed us. I could hear Emily screaming as we started rolling, the windshield smashing, my door pushing into me. We tumbled over the side of the road, and I slammed my head into the window and as we finally stopped moving, my world went black.

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><p><strong>Meh, here a first chapter. Tell me if I should keep going.<strong>

**Thanks for reading**


	2. The Opera House

The earliest memory in my life that I can remember is that everything was dark. I was surrounded by endless black for the longest time. Then I started to realize that it was dark, and when I did I opened my eyes. But instead of seeing a doctor looking down at me and announcing to my mother that 'it is a girl', I saw the living room of the first house I ever lived in. And I was running.

This kind of messed me up, because when I was older, I was told that when you died, you went to heaven to be with God. But maybe, that's not what happens. Maybe, when you die, you're mind becomes blank, your soul scattered into the winds, but all you are is floating in darkness you just sit there with a blank thought, surrounded by dark until you realize where you are, that it is dark. Then you open your eyes. That is when you begin your new life.

And my theory of life is, that life doesn't start until there is light. For example, the Big Bang, the words God said to create this universe; "And let there be light." and how my life started when I opened my eyes.

Life begins when you turn on the light.

And that is the situation that I am currently in. It's dark, I can't think. I'm just floating here. Until I realize where I am.

I open my eyes.

But this time it is different. I'm not running, I'm not a child, I'm not anything new. I'm still me, Scarlet Moore.

I try to look around, but I can't move my head or my body, only my eyes. Everything is blurry, and then crystal clear, then blurry again. I realize that I am lying on a floor, in a building, and a big one at that.

Then I heard someone yelling, and I try to move to see who it is, but I can't. I can't move at all. I can feel someone running, their footsteps vibrating off the floor. I looked up as someone knelt down next to me, but I couldn't pinpoint who it was, my vision was so blurry.

"Mademoiselle? Are you alright?" it was a woman, with a really strong french accent. I opened my mouth to reply, but all that came out was a squeak.

"Oh gosh, somebody get my a doctor! It will be okay mademoiselle, help is coming."

Then everything went dark again.

XxX

"How is she doing?"

"Well, she's got a concussion, but that's about it. I'm surprised. She took a pretty big fall. Do you know why she was on the rafters?"

"No, monsieur. I didn't even see her fall. No one did. It's like she came out of nowhere."

"I see. Well, send a message if you ever need me again"

"I will."

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I could finally see and move again. I slowly turned my head to the right and looked at the woman that was sitting next to me, who was reading a book. I squinted my eyes, wondering if I was going insane. She looked just like Madame Giry, from _The Phantom of the Opera, _the 2004 version.

'The one I saw last night' I thought, 'Just before...'

Madame Giry glanced up at me, then back down to her book, then back up at me.

"I see that you are awake," she said as she closed her book, and sat it on the bedside table.

I opened my mouth to reply, but I had nothing to say. I was stunned. Confused. Scared. I didn't know where to start. So I closed my mouth.

"Can you tell me you're name?" Madame Giry asked.

"S-Scarlet. Scarlet Moore."

Giry nodded, "Is there anything that I can get you, Scarlet? Some food perhaps?"

"Can I have some water?" I asked meekly.

"Yes. While I am gone, do not get out of bed. You are in no shape for walking," she instructed, "I will be right back."

I looked around as she left, noticing that I was in a room with wooden walls, painting hung on them. There was a window in front of me and a desk underneath it, and the door to my left. To my right was a small closet and next to it was another door. Decorating the ceiling was a chandelier, but instead of light bulbs, there were candles.

The door opened and Madame Giry walked in carrying a pitcher of water and an empty glass.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" she asked as she poured some water into the glass.

"I'm sure." I mumbled as she handed me the drink. I carefully sat up then took a sip before setting the cup down.

"Um, where am I?" I asked.

"You are at the Opera Populair."

"And, what year is is?"

"It is the year of 1870,"

My heart froze and I glanced away.

'So it's true,' I thought, 'I am in _The Phantom of the Opera'_

I turned back to her, "Um, how did I get here?" I asked.

Madame Giry sighed, "I was hoping you would tell me that." I looked down.

"I'm sorry. But I don't remember."

"That's alright. Just some memory loss. It happens to everyone. Now, I'm afraid I have to leave, for I have some business to attend to. Do not leave this room without me. I advise you to stay in bed so you can heal. In the mornings I will bring you breakfast and in the evening I will bring you dinner until you can leave this room on your own. Goodbye for now. I will be back with your dinner in a couple of hours. Get your sleep."

I nodded as she left the room, not feeling too happy that someone had to take care of me. I didn't need to be spoon-fed like a baby. I didn't need someone to hold my hand.

"I can fend for myself," I told myself. I sat there in silence before climbing out of bed, but I stood up too fast and I winced as blood and pain shot through my head, so I quickly sat down. I held my head for a while until the pain finally stopped.

I sighed and slowly laid down, thinking over my current predicament.

"What am I going to do?"

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><p><strong>Well, there is chapter 2! I hope you liked it!<strong>


	3. A Job

**Here is chapter 3 you guys. I hope you like it!**

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><p>A week has passed since I came here, and I have recovered quite nicely. I can finally move around and get to places on my own. Although I haven't fully recovered I can get around on my own, and I have learned much from everyone I have met. I learned how to get to certain places, like the kitchen and the roof. I learned who was safe to talk to, and who wasn't, to quote Madame Giry, "Stay away from Buquet. He is very dangerous," and most importantly, I learned more about the Phantom of the Opera, which was fun.<p>

It was during breakfast when I heard some of the ballerinas talking about him, whispering things.

"He's so scary!" I heard a small girl say.

"Yes. I'd die if I ever crossed paths with him," said another.

"Have you heard the things Buquet said? And the things about his skin?"

"Yes, I have, and it is the most horrifying thing I ever heard. The Phantom is so scary."

I coughed to get their attention, "Um, forgive me, but, who is the Phantom?" I lied. Inside I laughed as they gasped at me, shocked that I never knew. Oh, little did they know.

"Who is The Phantom you say?" I heard someone say from behind me. I turned my head and was met with the dirty, drunk face of Joseph Buquet. I could smell the alcohol on him, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust out of habit.

He laughed, "Well, I'll tell you who he is, mademoiselle. He is the ghost that haunts this opera house."

I nodded, "Yes, thank you. But I didn't ask you. I asked them." Buquet frowned at this and shook his head as he walked away. I relaxed and turned to the girls, "Ok, I wanna hear this from you. Who is he? The Phantom?"

"He goes by 'The Opera Ghost'," called a girl, "And he does things. He drops things on people, ruins our shows."

"And he kills people too!" another girl said, eyes wide with fear. I nodded.

"He's not one to be messed with." I heard a familiar voice say. I turned to the direction of the voice and my eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. It was the one and only Christine Daae.

She was a spitting image of Emmy Rossum from the 2004 movie. Brown curls, chocolate eyes, and pale skin. And just like the rest of the ballerinas, she was wearing a ballerina dress.

'Huh,' I thought, 'She's still a ballerina, and not the new Prima Donna. I must be in the beginning of the movie, then.'

"They say that if you see him, he will kill you," said a blonde next to Christine. It was sweet little Meg, who looked just like Jennifer Ellison. Wavy blonde hair, big doe eyes, full of curiosity and innocence.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, "Now, of you all will excuse me, but I have to leave."

I chuckled as the ballerinas whined.

"But we don't want you to go!"

"We wanted to tell you more!

"Don't worry, I'll be back," I reassured them, " I promise."

XxX

I sighed with relief as I finally found the person that I was looking for, "Madame Giry!" I called out. She turned towards me with a stern look on her face, cane in hand. Her hair was done up in a long braid that reached down her back and she wore a black dress.

"Yes, my dear?" She asked as I approached her.

"I need to ask you something."

"Well, what is it?"

I took a deep breath, "I was wondering if I could have a job here."

"Can you sing?"

"No."

"Can you dance?"

"No."

"Well, those are currently the only job positions that are for women. Unless you want to be a maid?"

I shook my head, "No. I was hoping that I could be a stage hand."

She raised a brow, "A stage hand? Are you sure?"

I nodded, "Yes. I promise that I will work hard. Please, I need this job."

She sighed, "Well, we have to talk about this with the manager. Come, follow me. I will take you to him."

XxX

"A woman? As a stage hand? Surely you must be joking," Lefere asked, baffled at the idea that a woman can do a mans job.

'Just wait,' I thought, 'Soon we'll be the ones on top.'

"I assure you that she is not joking. She will work hard."

Monsieur Lefere sighed and rubbed his temple, "Surely you can have a less dangerous job. Can you sing?"

I shook my head, "I couldn't sing to save my life."

"I guess. You got the job."

My heart gave a flutter and inside I smiled, "Thank you, Monsieur. I promise I'll do my best." He nodded and waved us to go.

I gave a sigh of relief as we stepped out of the room. I was very glad that it was over.

"Congratulations, you got the job. Follow me and I'll show you to your stage crew," said Giry. I nodded as I was lead down the hall and backstage where the stage hands were working at. I assumed that they were on break because when we got they're, they were all together, laughing and drinking.

"Ahem!" Coughed Giry and she slammed her cane on the ground, silencing them all, "Now that I have your attention, I have some news to tell you.

"Did the Opera Ghost snuff someone out again? Or were they hanged by the rafters this time?" A man with black hair asked her before he took another swig of his beer.

"No. Gentlemen, let me introduce you to your new stage hand. Scarlet Moore.

"A woman?" laughed Buquet, "This must be a joke."

"It is no joke. She is offically a member of your 'crew'. You will treat her with respect, or you'll be hearing from me, and the manager," she turned to me, "If anything ever happens, you come directly to me." I nodded and she left.

I turned to my fellow workers and smiled, "So, what are we doing first?"

"First," said Buquet as he walked closer to me, "I think we are going to have a little fun."

I tilted my head, "Be careful where you tread, Joseph, or you'll be hearing from the manager."

"What he doesn't know wont hurt him," he said as he reached out to touch my face. I growled and I reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him down as I kicked his feet out from under him and with a slam he was on the floor, the wind knocked out of him.

I bent down to this level and said so everyone could hear, "It may not hurt the manager, but it will hurt you," I stood up straight and looked around at everyone, "Does everybody get that?" I asked.

"Yes mademoiselle," everybody said, terror in their eyes.

"Good. Now, let's get started."

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><p><strong>hahaa! Chapter three! <strong>


	4. First Day

**Here is chapter four you guys!**

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><p>"Next I will show you how to tie a rope to a cleat," said Simon as we were in the rafters. He the only person in the stage hand crew that was actually willing to help me out, "It goes like this. First you go around, then under, then over. Then you go under, then over, then under and you pull it through. Got that?" He asked me. Simon was quite skinny for his age, which I assumed he was about 28, but he worked to his hearts content showing no signs of weakness. He had curly, orange hair that stood out from everyone else and soft brown eyes that reminded me of fresh brewed coffee in the mornings. He wore old and dirty clothes that were in need of replacement and shoes that were no longer his size.<p>

I nodded as he handed me the rope, "I believe I do," I said.

He smiled, "Great. Now, show me you can do it."

I nodded in agreement and turned to the cleat, tying the rope like Simon taught he to to.

'Go around, then up then over,' I thought to myself, 'Then under, over, under and you pull it through.'

"Like that?" I asked.

"Perfect! And be sure to pull it tight. We don't want any accidents," He stood up, "Now, what we're going to do next is raise up the beam for the first rehearsal of Hannibal. We don't need it until the third, which is the full dress rehearsal."

'But when is the rehearsal where the Phantom comes?' I wondered.

"Okay, see that rope over there, on my count you will pull it, and I will pull this one over here and together we will lift it up. But be careful, the beam is pretty heavy."

I smirked, "I think I can handle it." I walked over to the rope which was lying lazily against the guard rail and grasped it firmly in my hand, as did Simon with his.

"Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded.

'Maybe,' I thought.

"Pull on the count of three. One, two, three!" and with that we yanked as hard as we could.

Man, it was heavier than I thought! Never the less, I pulled with all of the strength that I had, gritting my teeth.

'You got this Scarlet!' my inner self said, 'Show 'em what you got!' I grunted as I kept pulling and finally Simon signaled me to stop.

"That'll do," he said as he bent down to tie it to a cleat. I nodded and did the same. I groaned in relief as I could finally stand up straight, placing my hands on my lower back and popping it.

"Well, Scarlet," Simon began, "That was impressive. You're stronger than I thought."

I smiled as I tried to catch my breath, "Thanks."

He clapped his hands together, "Now, since it is rehearsals today, we better go and find out where our stations are at. We may not be doing anything, but we still have to be there."

XxX

"George and Jack will be front, stage left. You two will be drawing the curtains back and forth," said the chief stage director, Monsieur Bayard as the rest of the crew huddled around him. I was pushed all the way to the back, having a hard time at hearing him.

"Frank and Scott, you two will be on the second set of rafters, to move set pieces number three, four, ten, thirteen, and twenty three. Simon and Gaston, you two will be moving set pieces number two, five, eight, fourteen, seventeen, and twenty five. Joseph and Scarlet, you two will be moving the set background and..."

I didn't listen to the rest, I didn't need to. I groaned with displease and looked over at Joseph Buquet as he looked at me. Having as much hatred in his eyes for me as I did for him.

'This can not be happening!' I growled in my mind, 'They set me up!'

"... and twenty nine. Alright people, get to your positions, let move! Come on!"

I rolled my eyes and started to walk to my position as a felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up and say Simon staring down at me.

"Please be gentle with Buquet," he mockingly pleaded, "We don't need another body hanging from a rope."

I smiled, but my insides felt heavy at his last comment, "As long as he doesn't touch me, he'll be fine," and we parted to our positions.

I glared at Buquet as I finally reached the rafter that I was directed to go to. He looked at me without turning his head, then looked back down to the commotion bellow, a growl emitting from his throat. I huffed in annoyance and quickly walked to my station trying to be as far away from him as I possibly could.

It was silent for five minutes until he broke it with, "It's strange."

I pivoted my head towards him, "What's strange?" I asked, my voice full of suspicion.

"It's strange how a woman would want to be a stage hand. If I remember correctly, this job is exactly what most women would not want to do."

I rolled my eyes and looked away, "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not like most women."

"Yet you wear a dress?"

I whipped my head back to him not caring if my dress moved along with me, which was light blue with white frill decorating the edges, "For your information, _Joseph, _I'd rather be wearing pants right now. But, unfortunately, I can not because I can not afford my own clothes just yet. That's one of the reasons why I got this job in the first place."

He scoffed, "A woman wearing pants? Ridiculous!"

"Maybe, but it's not that big of a deal. It's just clothing."

He glared at me before turning away, "I'll be right back."

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked.

"To get a beer."

I shook my head as he left, 'Great! Such a great idea! Leaving me alone on my first day!'

Unexpectedly, the air was filled with the worst sound that i have ever heard, and I plugged my ears as it got louder.

"_The Trophyyyyyyyyyyyy_

_From our __Saviors_

_From our SAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaavioooooorsAH!_

_Frooooooooom the enslAAAAAvIIIIng FOOOOrce_

_OOoooof ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!"_

I sighed as Carlota's terrible singing ended, and was met by the singing of the choir started.

_"With Feasting and dancing and song_

_Tonight in celebration_

_We greet the victorious throng_

_Returned to bring salvation!"_

I smiled as the music played, the beautiful melodies filling me. I always have loved music. It filled me, made me happy, made me cry, made me feel so many emotions that I can't even describe.

"_The Trumpets of Carthage resound_

_Hear Romans now and tremble_

_Hark to the steps of the ground_

_hear the drums_

_Hannibal comes!"_

I scoffed as Ubaldo Piangi walked out on stage in a way that made it seam like he owned the place. He stopped and raised his arms and began to sing.

"_Sad to return to find the land we love_

_Threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp-"_

_"_Gentlemen, gentlemen," sighed Monsieur Reyer, the conductor, annoyed that Piangi once again made another slip-up.

"As you can see," said another familiar voice, whom I realized was Monsieur Lefevre, who was leading two gentlemen behind him, "Rehearsals are under way for a new Production of Chalumeau's Hannibal."

"Monsieur Lefevre! I am rehearsing!" shouted Reyer.

"Monsieur Reyer, Madame Giry, ladies and gentlemen, please, if I could have your attention? As you know, there have been rumors of my imminent retirement. I can now tell you that these were all true, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire, Monsieur Firmin, and Monsieur Gilles Andre."

The crowd of people below me clapped for them as I stood in the rafters in awe.

"I'm sure you have read of their recent fortune in the _junk business," _Monsieur Lefevre said with dissaproval in his voice.

"_Scrap Metal_," Andre spun at him quickly then smiled, "accually," then turned to Firmin, his face clearly saying, 'We get this too often.'

"The new managers are here? Already?" I asked to myself as I leaned against a one of the ropes that was holding the rafters up, "But what happens next?"

"And we are deeply honored to introduce our new patron. The Vicomte de Chagny." As the sounds of clapping filled the air, I could see Christine's eyes light up in recognition. I looked over at Raoul and I had to admit, in person he was pretty cute, instead of on a 2D screen. He was the exact image Of Patrick Wilson, except for the long brown hair, which flowed as he walked over to the new managers.

"My parents and I are honored to support all the arts, especially the world-renowned Opera Populaire."

"Vicomte, Gentlemen," Began Lefevre, "Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons."

Carlotta smiled and curtsied as Raoul took her hand and kissed it, a look of somewhat discust on his face. But he tried to hide it.

"Brava! Brava!" her 'helpers', should I say, cheered for her, and Piangi coughed to get Lefevre's attention.

"Signor Ubaldo Piangi," continued the old manager and this time mostly everyone clapped.

"An honor, signor. I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal. i will be here this evening to share your great triumph. My apologies."

"Thank you Monsieur Vicomte!" shouted Reyer, eager to get moving, "Once more if you please signor."

"He love me. He love me," Carlotta boasted, "Love me, love me, love me."

I sighed and looked around, "Now what happens?" I asked myself. I stood there for a good minute, before I was broken out of my reverie by someone yelling. I quickly found out that it was Carlotta.

"ALL DAY!" she shouted, throwing her arms up into the air, "ALL THEY WANT IS THE DANCING!"

"Well, the Vicomte is very exited about tonight's gala," happily said Lefevre.

"Ahhhhahhhh. Alora, alora, alora. I hope his is exited by dancing girls as your new managers, because I WILL. NOT. BE. SINGING!" screamed Carlotta.

I shook my head, "Good, but then what happens?"

'They pleade her to stay, she sings, and then... the Phantom drops the backdrop oh her.' I stiffened, 'The backdrop. That's where I am at!'

Before I could turn around and leave, I felt something hard collide with my head, and I crumbed to the floor in a heap. I gasped as my vision went blurry and I looked up and squinted at a dark shape, standing over me, looking out and down below. As my vision cleared, i could finally see him better. he was dressed all in black, so much that at first glanced I almost thought he was a shadow.

I tried to stand up, but with a small cry I slipped back to the ground, my head throbbing in pain. Second time this week.

The Phantom's head spun towards me, realizing that I was still awake. I looked up at him in wonder as he slowly knelt down to my level.

'Holy shit. Holy shit. Oh my god it's him.' I thought. He slowly took his gloved hand and cupped it underneath the right side of my jaw. I admit it, I was trembling. It's not every day you meet your biggest idol. Especially one that is not supposed to exist.

'What is he doing?' I thought as he held his hand under my jaw, staring into my eyes as I stared into his. His white mask gleaming in the dull light the candles gave off, but before I could pull away, he flicked his wrist and I felt one of his fingers trust up and into where my neck and jaw met. I felt my body tense up on its own accord and for the second time that week, everything went black.

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><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN ! The phantom has arrived. This chapter is really long, it took me a while, but I did it! i hope you all liked it. Tell me what you think.<strong>


	5. The Phantom of the Opera

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I've been busy. But, I am here not. Here is chapter 5. I hope you all like it.**

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><p>Erik's POV<p>

Erik could hear the Diva's screeching as he observed from his box, practically killing his ears every second she opened her ugly mouth. He couldn't take it anymore. It has to stop.

He was clad in black, his cloak bellowing behind him as he made his way out of his box. He traveled in the tunnels, making his way to the rafters to drop something on her.

'Maybe it'll be enough to make her leave,' he thought as he arrived at his destination, and he spotted the perfect thing to drop on her, and it was the backdrop. He could see from this angle that once the backdrop fell, it would hit her square in the back.

'Perfect.'

He slowly exited the tunnel and quietly took a step onto the wooded rafter, but stopped when he spotted someone on the rafters with him.

It was a woman. She had long brown hair, that was tied up into a braid, and was wearing a light blue dress with white frill around the edges. With her chin in her hand, and her elbow resting on the rope, she watched the scene below her unfold. A look of determination was cast over Erik's face, he had to get rid of Carlotta.

'But what am I going to do about her?' he thought, then spotted an empty candelabra sitting on a wooded rail, presumably to light up the dark when the stage crew can't see all that well. Erik took it in his hands and slowly walked towards the girl in blue. While he raised up the candle holder, she stiffened and stood up straight, as if she could sense that she was there. Without another moment to use, he swing the heavy object at her head, and as it made contact, she fell to the floor.

He huffed and set the candelabra on the floor and looked down over the guard rail at Carlotta as she screamed at everyone to be quiet.

"Ahh!" he heard someone yelp and looked down at the woman, realizing that she was still awake. Erik slowly knelt down, her blue eyes watching his every move. She looked at him with terror, but also with recognition. He pushed this to the back of his mind and slowly reached his hand out to her face.

He expected her to recoil away from him, but yet, she didn't. She kept staring at him with those blue eyes, those sapphire blue eyes. How they stared at him in... wonder, it seemed. They stared at him as if she knew him.

'Pull yourself together, Erik,' he reminded himself and without another thought he expertly thrusted his pointer finger into a pressure point under her jaw. Her whole body seized and her eyes rolled into her head, and with that she was out like a light.

He stood up as Carlotta was starting to begin her aria, and he unwound the rope from the cleat.

"_When you find_

_That once again you long_

_To take your heart back and be free-"_

And with that, the backdrop fell and landed on Carlotta, her screams filling the theater. Erik smiled as he left, not knowing that someone saw the whole thing unfold.

XxX

No ones POV

"_To take you heart back and be free-" _

Meg screamed as she spotted the backdrop fall and land on Carlotta's back, taking her down, as did everyone else.

"Oh, my God, signora!" shouted Reyer in worry and quickly rushed to the stage.

"I hate you! Lift it up!" the diva yelled as everybody tried their best to pull her out from her current predicament.

Meg turned to Christine, "He's here," she whispered to her in fear, "The Phantom of the Opera."

"Signora, are you alright?" asked Lefevre as he helped her up, then turned his attention to the rafters, "Buquet! For God's sake, what's going on up there?" he shouted.

Buquet rushed out to haul the heavy backdrop up, noticing the unconscious girl on the floor, but chose to ignore her.

"Please, monsieur, don't look at me. As God's y judge, I wasn't at my post," he pleaded as he used the wheel to pull the back drop up, instead of by hand.

"Where is mademoiselle Moore, Buquet? Or was she not at her post too?" Lefevre asked, his hands on his hips.

"No, sir, she's right here. Unconscious at my feet."

"Oh! Heavens! Why!?"

"It was the ghost, sir! He attacked her, sir! I saw it with me own eyes!" Gasps of worry filled the stage.

"Dear Lord! Well, someone get up there and help her! She may need medical attention."

"Signora, these things do happen," laughed Andre.

She looked up at him in horror, "FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS THESE THINGS DO HAPPEN, AND DID YOU STOP THEM FROM HAPPENING? NO!" she shouted at Reyer, "AND YOU TWO! YOU'RE AS BAD AS HIM! 'These things do happen?' Mah! Grr! UNTIL YOU STOP THESE THINGS FROM HAPPENING, THESE THINGS DOES NOT HAPPEN!" She turned to piangi and signaled him that they were leaving, "Bring my doggie and my boxy!"

"Amateurs," mocked Piangi as he left with the diva.

"BYE-BYE! CIAO! Now you see. Bye-bye, I'm really leaving!"

Above them, the Phantom was laughing inside. he had done it. He had finally gotten rid of La Carlotta.

'But for how long?' he thought as he turned away and left.

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><p><strong>Haha! A little Phantom POV, huh? I say Carlotta deserved it. Well, that was fun, what do you think is going to happen next? I would love to know, and give me some ideas, heavens knows I need them! <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. The Mirror

**Hey, guys, here is chapter 6! I hope you all like it.**

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><p>"Is she dead?"<p>

"Gosh, I hope she's okay."

"I wonder if she saw his face."

I groaned and opened my eyes, looking up into the eyes of about a dozen people. Stage hands, ballet students, and chorus men and woman looked down at me.

"Where am I? What... what happened?" I asked as I sat up.

"You were attacked, mademoiselle," spoke a young ballerina.

"By the Opera Ghost," said another.

Simon broke through the crowd and offered me a hand, "Are you alright?" he asked me. I nodded my head.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Excuse me, mademoiselle?" someone asked and I turned towards the voice. It was Meg, and she held an empty candelabra to me, "I believe the Phantom used this to attack you."

I took the candelabra and thanked Meg, before being escorted away from everyone by Simon. The moment I was away from the rafters, I was flanked by a bunch of questioning ballerinas.

"Did you see him?"

"What was he like?"

"Are you okay?"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ladies!," shouted Simon, "Give the woman some space, she just woke up. I'm sure she can answer your questions, but please, give her a moment," Simon pleaded as we made our way through the dense crowd.

We walked in silence for a time, before Simon spoke.

"So, um. Did you, you know, see him? The Opera Ghost?" he asked me.

I shrugged, "I don't know," I lied, "I can't really remember."

Simon nodded, "Understandable," and we never spoke a word until we reached my room, the same room that I woke up in.

"Well, I hope you have a nice day," Simon said as he bowed. I chuckled.

"I hope you have a nice day too," I replied as I entered my room, then closed my door.

I stood there for a moment in thought, before looking down at the candelabra in my hand. I looked it over, noticing the small and delicate designs as I turned it in my hand.

'This could be Eriks,' I thought, 'Maybe I should return it to him. But what if it's not his?' I sat down on my bed, 'Then he should put it back where he found it.' I sighed and blew a string of hair out of my face, 'But how am I going to return it to him?'

I looked over at my desk, 'Well, I don't exactly have to deliver it in person, now do I?'

I stood up and walked over to the writing desk and grabbed a piece of paper and a quill, then sat down and began to write.

XxX

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. I stood at the door of Box 5, a letter in my hand, addressed to the Phantom, and the candelabra in the other.

'Oh, gosh, I'm really going to do this,' I thought as I stood there. It seamed like hours before I got the courage to open the door.

It was dark, and dusty inside. The first thing I noticed were two chairs sitting at the front of the box, then I noticed a column to my left, and I suddenly felt that I wasn't the only one here.

I swallowed and walked forwards, closing the door behind me.

'It's okay, Scarlet,' I said in my head, 'Let's just get this over with.'

I walked to the two chairs and set my letter down, then placed the candelabra on the corner of the letter. I stood up straight and drew in a deep breath.

"Monsieur Phantom, if you are here, this is for you," I spoke then quickly walked out of the room.

When I heard the door close behind me, I let out a shuttering breath and placed a hand over my heart, "Jesus," I wheezed, "I am never doing that again."

XxX

As the Phantom watched her leave, he wondered why she would do this, return something to him, even though she didn't know if it were his or not. She was definitely strange, not only would she wander into his forbidden Box 5, something that most people working at the Populaire would never even think do do, but she even spoke to him. Even if it wasn't face to face, Erik felt that it was the closest thing to contact that he felt in a long time.

'Besides the lessons with Christine,' he thought as he left, following the girl the letter in his pocket and the candelabra in hand. He had heard from the other stage hands that she as working as one of them, another crew member. He, also, thought it was strange. Not only was a woman working a mans job, but she was actually good at it, and never strayed from her work. In fact, he would say that she was better at this job than most of the stage hands, which was saying something.

He watched her as she walked on, heading back towards her room, when he spotted a hand snake out and grab her arm roughly.

XxX

I gasped as I felt someone grab me, and I was spun into someone's chest. Immediately I smelled alcohol and I knew who it was, and I looked up into the drunken face of Buquet.

"Whadya doin' out so late, little lady?" he slurred at me as I struggled to get out of his grip, but he held tight.

"Let me go, Joseph," I growled.

"Aw, come on," he muttered, "Can't a man have a little _fun_?" he said as he started to drag me somewhere.

I glared and kneed him in the one place where the sun didn't shine, and I twisted myself out of his grip and ran. But I didn't knee him hard enough, and he recovered quickly.

"Come back here, you bitch!" he shouted as he ran after me. I bolted into the closest room I could find, and shut the door behind me.

'Find somewhere to hide, find somewhere to hide,' I thought as I looked around the dark and empty room, looking behind desks, and in closets, but I couldn't find anything.

I heard the door handle jiggle and my heart rate sped up. I backed up into something cold and smooth, and suddenly my hand went through the unknown object. I turned around and realized that it was a large mirror, just like the one in the Prima Donna room. A quick look around told me that that was exactly where I was at.

Without another word, I opened the mirror and shoved myself inside, closing it just as the door opened and watched Buquet stumble in.

"I know you're in here," he singed as he looked around, "You can't hide from me."

I slowly backed up and felt myself, again, bump into something and before I could turn around, I felt a gloved hand slip over my mouth, and an arm wrap around my waist.

"Shhh...," said the owner of the voice, male, "Don't make a sound." All I could do was tremble.

After a while, Buquet finally gave up, and left, leaving me with the man who held me in his arms. Slowly he let go of me and I whirled around to face him, taking a step back as I realized who it was.

It was the Phantom.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to find one of your tunnels. I was only trying to-"

He held up a hand, "Say no more," he spoke, in a voice that was as rich as velvet, "I understand. But, you must promise me that you will speak of this entrance to no one. Or, there will be consequences."

"I understand," and I turned to leave.

"And, mademoiselle,"

"Yes?"

"I...apologize, for earlier today."

"It's alright. I heard about what had happened to Carlotta. Honestly, I would have done the same. She deserved it."

"Alright. Good day, mademoiselle."

"Good day, Phantom."

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><p><strong>Well, there's chapter three. I hoped you guys liked it.<strong>


	7. My Journal

**Hey, guys! Here is chapter 7! I hope you guys like it. Shout out to ****E-man-dy-S, PhantomFan01, Fireballmaddie, mollyjr3, tazzeledmuch, and Shella DragoNoid, for reviewing. It means a lot to me. Thank you guys!**

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><p>No matter how hard I tried, I tossed an turned all night. I just couldn't get the Phantom's image out of my mind. I tried walking around my room, looking out the window, and tried my best to get my mind on something else. But I knew that none of these attempts would work. The only thing that would work is drawing it out.<p>

An hour before the Opera House would awaken, I left to the closest store I could find, my well-earned money in hand. I wore a soft green dress, with red embroidered roses around the edges, the sleeves just coming down to my elbow and a square neckline. I bought myself one blank journal and a couple pencils, and went straight back to the Opera Populaire. The moment I was in my room, I sat down at my desk and immediately began to draw the first thing that came to mind, and it was the Phantom's eyes. They were green, with a hint of blue around the edges, and they seamed to burst like a dying star. But the orbs screamed loneliness, and longing. They were full of pain.

SNAP!

I groaned as my pencil broke and reached for a new one.

'Calm down, Scarlet,' I reminded myself, 'You're getting way too into this.'

Before I could start again, I could faintly hear the sounds of people talking. I sighed and took my hand away from the paper.

"I guess I should start to head down to the kitchen," I said to myself. I tucked my journal away in a drawer and left my room, following the delicious smells of breakfast.

I sat at an empty table with my food, a croissant with jelly, an orange and a half of an omelet on my plate. I quietly munched on my food and stared off into space, not even noticing that someone was sitting across from me, until a small cough woke me from my daydream. I looked up at the smiling face of Meg Giry, and the shy face of Christine Daae. I smiled back.

"Good morning," I said.

"Morning!" grinned Meg as she shuffled in her seat, a plate of food similar to mine sitting across from her, as well as Christine. We sat in an awkward silence until suddenly:

"So, is it true that the Opera Ghost is out to get you?" Meg asked. My eyes bulged and I almost choked on my food.

"Meg!" shouted Christine.

I waved my hand at her, "It's alright," I said.

Meg leaned forward a bit, "Is it true?" she wondered. Christine looked away.

I coughed and shook my head, "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well, he's attacked you twice, hasn't he? The time when you first came here, and yesterday when he knocked you out. That is what happened, right?"

I chuckled, "Well, the first part is not exactly true. Honestly I don't know what happened or how I got here, but I am 100% positive that the Opera Ghost had nothing to do with it."

"But how can you not think that he is out to get you? After what happened yesterday, you have to believe this."

"What happened yesterday was not an attack on me, but on Carlotta. I heard about what he did, and to do that, he would have had to knock me out, because I would be in his way."

"But aren't you angry that he did that to you?"

I shook my head, "At first I was, but after I found out why he did it, I wasn't anymore. To be honest, I would have done the same thing. Carlotta deserved it. You can't deny that." Meg opened her mouth to retort, but closed it.

"But aren't you scared? Are you not worried that he might want to kill you?"

I laughed, "If he wanted to kill me he would have done it long ago, especially yesterday. If he wanted to get rid of me yesterday was the perfect chance to do it. He has had all of these opportunities to kill me, yet I'm still here. If he really wanted to kill me, why hasn't he done it yet?"

Meg was silent.

"Now, let me ask you a question. When was the last time someone died in this Opera House?"

"I don't know. Christine, do you know?" Meg asked. Christine shook her head, staring at me intently.

"Exactly. And I bet that everyone else has the same answer. They just don't know. They say that he is a murderer because they heard it from someone else. It's gossip."

"But he has hurt people," spoke Christine.

"Who?" I asked.

"He hurt you." I closed my mouth and looked away for a moment.

"Maybe, but like any other human being I can forgive him for that. Now let me ask you one more thing. If you ever ran into him one day, what would you do?"

"I'd run," said Meg.

"I'm not sure. What would you do?"

I smiled, "I'd say 'Hi'."

XxX

When the second set of rehearsals started, I was at my station with my journal and a few pencils in my pocket. It was for those moments that I didn't need to change the backdrops, those moments where I could just sit and relax and wait for my cue.

I was alone again. Buquet was off doing who knows what and it was just fine by me. That meant that I could draw without distractions. I drew the Phantom again, but this time I drew his face. His slick black hair and his white porcelain mask seamed to come to life as I drew.

"Whatchya drawin'?" said a voice. I jumped and slammed my journal shut and looked up at Buquet. I glared and stood up.

"It's none of your business," I said as I shoved the book into my pocket.

"I was just wonderin'" he defended as I looked down at the stage. It was almost time to change the backdrop, and when the moment came, we went straight to work, never saying another word to one another for the rest of the rehearsal.

XxX

I sighed as I made my way to my room. I was very worn out from today's work and eager to get some sleep. I opened my door and walked inside, setting my journal down on my night table but before I could sit down, there was a knock at my door.

I turned and saw Meg standing in the doorway.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked with a smile on her face. I nodded and went outside, closing the door behind me.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you would like to have tea with Christine and I. We were going to celebrate her becoming Prima Donna."

I smiled apologetically and shook my head, "I'd love to, but I can't. I need rest. Especially with the next couple of days being so busy. But, maybe another time?" Meg frowned, but nodded.

"Of course. Good night, Scarlet," she said and started to turn away.

"Good night Meg," I said and entered my room, making a grab for my journal, but it wasn't on the night table where I last left it. In a panic, I searched around my room, checking every hidden corner and every crevice that I could find, but it was nowhere in sight.

My journal was gone.

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><p><strong>Uh oh! Who took the journal? Find out in the next chapter. I hope you liked this one and please tell me what you think.<strong>


	8. Injuries

**Hey, guys! I'm back, and here is chapter 8! Shout out to mollyjr3, Fireballmaddie, tazzledmuch, PhantomFan01, and Basketbears for reviewing! I love you all so much!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>Erik's POV<p>

He panicked.

He didn't mean to take it. He just wanted a peak. He had seen her drawing in that damn journal all day, and his curiosity overtook him. He had to look.

So the moment she left her room, and her door was closed, he opened the secret door hidden in the wall and quickly walked over to the night table. He picked up the book and opened to one of the very first pages.

Oh, how he wished that he hadn't.

It was him. No doubt about it. It was a drawing of The Opera Ghost. And it was absolutely perfect in every way. Every line, ever detail was spot on, and he was astounded at the talent she had. It was a drawing of his head, with his slick, black hair and his white mask, looking at the viewer with a stern look in his eyes. Oh, his eyes. How detailed, how extraordinary, how realistic. They seemed to burst with life.

He was amazed at how good of an artist she was, she could even put Michelangelo to shame with her beautiful art.

"Of course. Good night, Scarlet." His ears perked up as the two ladies started to say their goodbyes, and that's when he panicked. He didn't know what to do. If she saw him like this, looking at her personal stuff, one can only imagine what would happen. So he went with the first thing that came to mind.

He left.

And the moment he was safe in his tunnel, and the secret door closed behind him, that's when he realized something very important.

He still had the journal in his hand.

XxX

Scarlet's POV

I knew exactly who took it. Who else could it have been? No one else has been in my room but me, and I was standing right outside the door when it was stolen. No one else could have got in.

Except the Phantom. He knows the secret tunnels like the back of his hand, and I didn't doubt for a second that one of them must lead to my room. And that's how he managed to get his hands on it in the first place.

In a fit of rage, I stormed out of my dorm and headed directly to the Prima Donna's room.

'He can't just do that!' I thought, my hands balled into fists, 'It doesn't belong to him!'

I opened the large pink door and went straight to the mirror, shoving it open and closing it behind me.

'I have to find him. He can't see the drawings.'

I walked for a while, angry at myself that I didn't grab a lantern. When I took my next step I felt the stone under my foot being pressed further into the floor, and I heard a funny 'whir' next to me. I turned just as a dagger was thrown at me, and instead of piercing my heart, it just barely pierced my left shoulder.

"JESUS FUCK!" I screamed as searing pain shot through my arm and upper torso, and I struggled to pull the dagger out of my shoulder, but it was stuck in the wall behind me, effectively pinning me there. I gasped in pain and tried again, but it was no use. It was stuck, and so was I.

I groaned as blood dripped down my green dress, "God dammit," I cursed.

"Having fun?" a smooth voice asked from the darkness. I looked up as the Phantom stepped out of the inky blackness and into view.

"You," I growled, "I have a bone to pick with you."

"A simple 'Hi' would have done nicely, don't you think?"

"Oh, you better get me out of this or-"

"Or what?" he interrupted, stepping closer, "You'll hurt me? I'm not so sure that's going to work."

"And why's that?" I asked, blowing a stray hair out of my face.

"Well, I'm not the one pinned to a wall by a dagger," he mocked, stepping even closer.

"True. Can you just please get me out of this?"

He smirked and leaned forward a bit, "As you wish," and with that, he grabbed the dagger in his hand and yanked it out of my shoulder. Everything went black for a moment as pain ran through my body, and I grasped my shoulder firmly, hoping that it would stop the pain. It didn't.

"Well, if that's all..." the Phantom smirked as he started to turn away.

"No!" I shouted and reached out to him, "I'm not done with you yet. You took something from me, and I need it back."

He tilted his head, "Took something from you? That's odd. I don't remember taking anything from anyone today."

"Yes you do. You took my journal. Now, give it back."

He crossed his arms, "Journal? I remember seeing one of those today. Did it look like this?" he asked and reached into his pocket, and pulled out a black book.

"That's my journal!"

"Really?" he smiled, "I had no idea."

"Give it back," I reached up with my right arm, but he held it up above his head.

"I don't know," he chuckled, "It seems pretty interesting to me. Maybe I'll keep it."

"That's not fair! You're, like, a whole foot taller that I am!" I whined and reached up with both of my hands, forgetting my injury for only a moment. With a yelp, I grasped my shoulder, blood coating my hand.

The Phantom sighed, "Come with me. We'll get you fixed up."

XxX

We were walking for a while, which was strange to me. You'd think we'd be back up at the Opera House by now, but we weren't. Instead of going up, we were going down.

"Um, where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." I rolled my eyes but kept walking. After a couple more minutes, I opened my mouth to say something, but I snapped it shut when we rounded a corner.

It was the lake. It was the God damn lake. And in the lake there was a small boat, and I immediately knew were we were going. I stopped walking.

The Phantom turned around at hearing my footsteps stop, "Is something wrong, mademoiselle?" he asked.

I looked away from the boat and up at him, standing in silence as I thought.

"You're taking me to your home, aren't you?" I asked.

He slowly nodded his head, "Yes, that was the plan. We need to take care of your wounds, before they get infected."

"Yes, but, don't they have a First Aid Kit upstairs? I mean, people get hurt all the time, right?"

"Yes, but most people here have their own healing supplies. As do I," he held out his hand to me, "Are you coming with me, or not?" he asked.

I thought for a moment, then I took his hand and he helped me get into the boat. Then he climbed in himself.

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><p><strong>AWWWWWWWWWWW! It's so sweet! He's going to help her! <strong>

**Thank you guys for reviewing, I really appreciate it.**

**Until next time!**


	9. The Phantom's Lair

**Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I've been busy with stuff. But, hey! Finals are over! YAY!**

**Also, I want to thank Fireballmaddie, PhantomFan01, tazzledmuch, karisdaae24601, E-man-dy-s, Guest, and grapejuice101 for reviewing. You guys are awesome and I just love you all! Thank you thank you! May you be blessed with a plate of nachos! Hahaa.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the story. You guys are the best, and tell me what you think. Feel free to give me any ideas that you have.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>I hissed in pain as The Phantom cleaned out my wound with a wet, and now bloody, towel. We were in his lair, and the word beautiful wouldn't even be close to the word that would describe his home. It took a resemblance of the one in the 2004 movie, a hollowed out cave or sorts, filled with candles and art. Like statues, and drawings of Christine. And as I looked around the room, I notices that two of the statues were wearing phantom masks. And in the middle of it all, was an organ.<p>

"Ow!" I shouted as the masked man started to wipe disinfectant on my deep cut.

"By the way, this may hurt a bit," he said.

"I noticed," I replied and relaxed.

He sighed and stood up, "It's deeper than I thought. Looks like you're going to need stitches."

I tensed in my chair, "Stitches? Oh, no. No, no, no, no. I am not going to have stitches!"

He walked over to a desk and opened a drawer, "You are going to have stitches or your arms going to come off. Like I said before, it's best if you _don't _get an infection," he turned to me, with a needle and some string in his hand, "Trust me mademoiselle, I know how to do this."

"I know that. It's just... I've never had stitches before."

He walked to me and knelt down to my level, sticking the needle in a candle's flame, "Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."

I held my breath and gripped the edge of my chair as he brought the needle closer to my skin, "Brace yourself," he said, "This is really going to hurt."

XxX

I sighed with relief as the Phantom pulled away, thankful that it was over. I looked up as Erik handed me a bottle and a cloth.

"Ever morning and every night I want you to take this disinfectant and carefully rub it on your wound for two weeks. Understand?" I nodded, "Good. Now, in a couple more weeks, I will send you a letter, telling you where to meet me at for when we will remove your stitches. Got it?"

I nodded once more.

"Would you like some tea? You must be exhausted," he said and stood up.

"Yes please. Thank you."

"Good. Stay here," he instructed and left.

I sat in silence and waited, thinking about him.

'Why did he bring me here? Does he trust me enough to keep his secret? Why did he help me? Maybe I'm just over-thinking this.'

I looked up as The Phantom walked back into the room, a cup of tea in one hand, and another in the other (haha it rhymes!).

"Here," he said and held out a cup to me. I took it gratefully and he took off his cloak and pulled up his own chair. I took a sip of my drink, closing my eyes as I swallowed the warm liquid.

"So," the Phantom started and I looked up at him as he pulled my journal out of a pants pocket, "About this."

I inwardly groaned and sat my tea on my lab, "Yeah?"

"I want to know why you drew me."

I shrugged, "I don't know," thinking: 'Fuck he looked through it.'

"Yes you do."

I sighed and sat up straighter, "Maybe, but...gah! I just... couldn't get you out of my head," I blushed and looked away, "Whenever I can't get something out of my head, like a song or something, I draw."

He leaned forward, "But I am no song."

I looked up at him, 'Maybe not to you, but you are to me,' I thought.

"I said a song or _something_," I corrected him, taking another sip.

"Well, you're really good."

My eyes widened and I started to choke, coughing as I sat my cup of tea on a nearby table.

"Go-od?" I coughed, "S-surely you must be joking."

"I assure you I am not. You have talent. One that not many people have."

"Talent?" I asked, finally calming down, "I wasn't born with talent. I only got this good because I practiced. After all, you know what they say. 'Practice makes perfect.'"

"Maybe. But now, we should be heading back up," he stood and sat his surprisingly untouched tea on the table and offered me a hand. I took it and he helped me up.

"Let's get going," he said and he put on his cloak and lead me back to the boat. He helped me in and then he got in himself, and we started to row away, leaving the candle-lit lair behind us.

XxX

"Well, here we are," the Phantom said as we stopped in front of my door, "I hope you have a nice night."

"You too," I said and started to open my door.

"Wait!" I turned to him as he pulled my journal out of this cloak, "You almost forgot this."

I smiled as he handed it to me, and I took it, grateful that it was back in my hands.

"Good night," I smiled and entered my room, hearing another 'Good night' as I shut the door.

I stood there for a moment, a smile slowly appearing on my face, before I plopped on my bed. I looked down at the book in my hands and smiled a bit more.

'He liked them.'

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><p><strong>Well, that's the chapter guys! I hoped you liked it as much as I did.<strong>

**Also, if you have any ideas in that beautiful brain of yours, tell me. Heavens knows I need them.**

**Again, thanks for reviewing, and I'll see you next time!**

**P.S. By Birthday is on Tuesday! YAY! I'm turning 16!**


	10. The Piano

**Hey guys. Sorry that I haven't uploaded in a couple of days. I have been really busy with my birthday and a new semester and stuff. But, hey, I'm here now with chapter 10. Shout-out to grapejuice101, karisdaae24601, PhantomFan01, and Fireballmaddie for reviewing. You guys are the greatest!**

**Anyways, I hope you like the chapter. Feel free to give me any ideas that you have in mind. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>I was running. I didn't know where I was, or what I was running from, but I knew that I couldn't stop.<p>

I could hear someone. Running after me. Running fast. And they were starting to catch up.

I gasped as I tripped and fell, but before I could get up, someone was pouring something on me, and they were laughing. _He _was laughing. It was a man. I tried to turn around to get a good look at his face, but he held me down with his foot.

Then I heard it. The familiar sound of a match striking against something, and I realized what I was drenched in.

It was gasoline.

I gasped and sat up in my bed, the nightmare still lingering in my mind. I gasped and panted with terror as I looked around my sun-lit room.

"Calm down Scarlet," I told myself, "It's okay. It was a dream."

I laid back down and sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I noticed something in my peripheral vision. I sat up, and gasped, my dream forgotten, when I realized what it was.

It was my most prized possession, my red mp3 player. I have had this thing for years. I had gotten it in 2009, which was about eight years ago. Now, some of the red paint is worn off, but it still works as if it was bran new. It has all of my favorite music on it, including pieces from _The Phantom of the Opera _and even more.

'But, how did it even get here?' I thought. Slowly, I picked it up and turned it on. I squealed when the logo came on.

'It works!'

I quickly chose a song, and stuck an ear bud in my left ear. I had chosen the song 'Into the Unknown' from _Over the Garden Wall_. I closed my eyes and hummed with the music, swaying back and forth. When it ended, I opened my eyes and sighed.

I turned it off and carefully set in in my drawer, and when I noticed that my journal was on the floor, I put it in there too.

'I don't feel like drawing today.'

I rubbed the liquid that the Phantom gave me on my stitches and then quickly got dressed in a thin, plain lavender dress, with the sleeves going down to my elbows. I put my hair up in a messy bun and headed out to the kitchen.

"Hey! Scarlet!" I heard behind me. I turned around and smiled as Simon ran up to me, "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"I don't mind."

"Great. Oh, by the way, I convinced Monsieur Bayard to switch Buquet's position with mine. That way he wont bother you anymore."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," I said, "I am perfectly fine at taking care of myself."

"I know, it's just I don't trust him. At all."

"I don't trust him either. But, really, did you have to do this now? I mean, you don't even know the ques!"

"I'm a fast learner."

"But what about him? Do you really think that he is willing to learn his ques for moving his new props?"

"Relax! We have this under control. If he does something wrong, hopefully the managers will finally fire him. Now, let's discuss this later."

We walked into the Kitchen and I spotted Meg and Christine sitting at a table. Meg smiled when she noticed me.

"Scarlet! Over here!" she waved.

I smiled at her and turned to Simon, "See you later," I said.

"Yeah," he said, looking over at someone with a hard look on his face. I looked over at who he was looking at and rolled my eyes when I saw that it was Buquet, "See you later."

I walked over to where Meg and Christine were at and Sat down, "Morning, girls," I said.

"Morning," they replied.

Then, silence.

'Oh my gosh, why is it so quiet?' I thought, 'I should say something. But what should I say? Oh, shit. This is really awkward. Just, say the first thing that comes into your mind.'

"Soooo...," I drawled out, "The last rehearsal. Fun."

'You're such a fucking idiot.'

"Yep," Meg replied, picking at her food. Christine was staring off into space.

I sighed and stood up, "I'll be right back."

XxX

I walked down the hallway alone as I thought, but quickly stopped when I noticed something in an empty room.

Well, almost empty.

There was a grand piano in the middle of a room, with white walls and a simple chandelier handing on the ceiling. Two windows on the other side of where I was lit the room with beautiful natural sunlight. I slowly walked in, looking at the piano. I stood before it and reached my hand out, running my fingers over some keys. I smiled as a sweet melody rang out, and I looked back at the door then sat down. I placed my hands on the keys and played 'Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi (to listen to it, look it up on youtube. It is really beautiful, and I recommend that you listen to it). I closed my eyes as the music rang out, and I played to my hearts content. When the music sped up, so did my heart. I was raveled up in my own world, and for a moment, I completely forgot where I was.

When the song ended, my fingers slowed to a stop and I felt my heart rate slow down.

"Brava!" I heard someone shout from behind me, followed by clapping and I gasped, jumping off the bench. I turned around and was met with the smiling face of Monsieur Andre.

"M-monsieur, I can explain-"

"Nonsense, that was beautiful!" he said and walked closer to me, "I have never heard such music. Do you have anymore, mademoiselle?" he asked, "I would love to hear it."

I was stunned for a moment, then slowly sat back down, placing my hands on the keys again. Monsieur Andre walked over to me and leaned against the piano. I glanced up at him, then back at the keys. I took in a deep breath, and started to play 'One Summers Day' from one of my favorite movies, _Spirited Away _(This is also on youtube, and is also recommended to be listened to). I smiled softy and closed my eyes as my fingers danced over the keys, and again, I was lost in my own world, full of music and light. And then the slow melody started to pick up, and my fingers raced along the keys, keeping up with the beat that was in my head, and then it ended.

I opened my eyes and slowly looked up at Andre, who had a huge smile on his face.

"Marvelous!" he shouted, and I jumped from the boom of his voice, "Beautiful! When did you learn this?"

"I was taught by my Mom, monsieur. Ever since I was a child."

"Well, you are very good. Maybe after rehearsal today, you can come play for Monsieur Firmin and I?" I opened my mouth to respond but he interupted me, "Great! After rehearsals, you come straight to our office. Good day, mademoiselle," and with that he was gone.

I sat there for a moment and stared at the ground.

"Huh," I started, "Well, that was something."

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><p><strong>Well, that's the chapter guys! I hoped you all liked it.<strong>

**Please leave a review and feel free to give me any ideas. They are very appreciated.**

**Until next time!**


	11. The White Room

**Hey guys, it's me! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I have been busy. We're moving my grandmother to a nursing home and I'm spending most of my afternoons packing up her house with my Mom and my Uncle But, hey, on the bright side, I have found a lot of really cool stuff that she's letting me keep.**

**Shout out to PainlessAnguish, PumpkinKitten, Toraneko, karisdaae24601, PhantomFan01, Fireballmaddie, fanwriter1245, and grapejuice101 for reviewing! I really appreciate it you guys!**

**Again, sorry for not updating in a while. I hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to give me any ideas that you have for the story. You never know, I might use it (with your permission, of course)!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>I sighed as the last rehearsal ended, knowing what was going to come. Truly, I was honored that someone someone wanted me to play for them, it's just that not only have I not played in a couple of years, but that I am definitely not a fan of being under the spotlight. When I was in 9th grade, I joined a piano class in my school, just for fun. By then I have already learned a lot from my Mom, so I knew a couple of things. I thought that the class would make me a better piano player than I already was. Boy was I wrong. The teacher made us play songs that were way to fast for me, and it put a lot of pressure of my shoulders. So I dropped the class, and stuck to playing for fun, and not for a grade.<p>

I looked around as I made my way down to the stage, looking around for the managers.

"Mademoiselle Moore!" I heard someone shout from behind me. I turned around and tried my best to smile as Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmin were walking towards me.

"There you are! Good thing we caught you now, eh? Our office is a way off. It saves us some time," Andre said, grinning from ear to ear, like usual.

"Agreed," I said, "Honestly, I have no idea where your office is anyway."

"Andre has told me that you are quite the excellent piano player," said Firmin.

"Oh, she is," boasted Andre, "Absolutely marvelous! She is going to play us a little song. Right?"

I smiled and nodded, "I am."

"Great! Over there," Andre pointed, down into the pit, "is a piano. Is that alright with you?"

"I will be fine," I said and walked off the stage, and into the pit. I noticed the piano right away and sat down on the bench. It was a black piano, it's keys warn and discolored. I placed my hands of the keys and started to play Anacora by Ludovico Einaudi (You can find the song on youtube. It is very beautiful, and I recommend that you listen to it). I closed my eyes as I, again, got lost into the music. As I played, I imagined myself in another place. I was in a field, the bees buzzing by and the sounds of the birds filled my ears, along with the music. But then everything changed. One moment, I was in a field, the next I was in a white room. I looked around and noticed that this was no regular room. It was a hospital room. The smell of disinfectant filled my lungs and the faint sound of a monitor to my right. and I looked down at the bed in front of me. Sitting next to the bed was a chair, and sitting in it was Emily.

My eyes widened and I took a step back, unable to register what I was just seeing. It was Emily! She was here! Tears welled in my eyes and I reached out to touch her, but instead of contact, my hand went through her arm. I quickly retracted my arm and hesitantly stepped closer.

"E-Emily?" I whispered, looking at her more closely. She wasn't looking at me, but at someone else. A look of sorrow was on her face, and a few stray tears fell from her eyes.

"Please get wake up," she said, a few more tears falling down her face, "I need you here again."

I turned to the person she was talking to, and stepped around the bed to get a closer look. I froze at who I saw.

It was me.

I opened my eyes as the song ended, my fingers stopping as I stared off into space with wide eyes.

'What was that?' I thought. I jumped as I was startled out of my daze.

"Brava!" shouted Andre as he clapped. I smiled slightly and stood up, walking back onto the stage.

"Mademoiselle, that was beautiful!" said Firmin as I stopped in front of them.

"Thank you," I said and curtsied.

"Maybe someday we can hear you play again?" asked Andre.

"Maybe," I said, "But for now, I must return to my dorm. Good day, gentlemen."

"Good day mademoiselle."

XxX

I sighed as I entered my room, closing the door behind me. I couldn't stop thinking about the hospital room.

'Was it real?' I thought, 'Or just my imagination?' I shook my head and turned around, ready for a good night sleep. But instead of an empty bed, there was someone on it. With a gasp, I brought a hand to my chest, trying my best to calm by pounding heart.

"What are you doing here?" I asked the Phantom, "You need to stop breaking into my room!"

"You didn't tell me that you could play the piano," he said, standing up.

"You never asked. Wait, were you watching me play?"

"Yes, and may I say that you are an excellent player. I have never, in all my years, have heard anyone play with so much emotion."

"Thank you, but what are you doing here?"

He looked away and mumbled something that i couldn't hear.

"I can't hear you," I said, "To answer someones question, you need to use words."

He huffed and looked back at me, "I wanted to know if you would play a song for me."

I was stunned. The Phantom of the Opera, the man of music wanted _me _to play a song for him?

"I understand in you don't want to. It's been a really busy day for you and-"

"I'm be glad to," I said, cutting him off.

"Really?"

"I'd be honored."

He smiled and held out his hand to me, "Then let's go."

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><p><strong>There you go guys! There's chapter 11! I hope you all liked it and please tell me what you think!<strong>

**Feel free to give me any ideas that you might have.**

**See you next time!**


	12. Primavera

**Hey guys! It's me!**

**I have been sick lately and I haven't been well enough to write anything, so I'm sorry for the delay. But, I'm here now, and I feel much better!**

**So, here is chapter 12, and again, I am sorry that I haven't updated in a while.**

**Shout out to PainlessAnguish, grapejuice101, PumpkinKitten, karisdaae24601, Fireballmaddie, PhantomFan01, and E-man-dy-s for reviewing! It means so much to me! You have no idea.**

**If you have any ideas for the story, please tell me. I appreciate your advice. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>I stared at him as he lead me down the spiral stairs, heading to his home. I just couldn't believe what was happening. THE Phantom of the Opera wants ME to play for him? It was a dream come true.<p>

"Watch your step now," The Phantom said as he helped me into the boat.

I smiled and thanked him. I sat down and waited for him to climb in, and we were off.

"So, how long have you been playing the piano?" he asked.

"I don't know. Ever since I was little, really. I can't exactly remember when I started," I said as we pulled up to the shore.

"I see." He climbed out and helped me up and out of the boat. I smiled slightly when the familiar sent of wax rushed through my nose. With my hand in his, we made our way toward his organ and as we walked I noticed a small letter sitting on a nearby table, opened.

When we reached the organ, we I sat down oh the bench and he pulled up a chair.

"Now, I know it's not a piano, but it's the best I've got. Will it do?"

I nodded, "It will be fine. Is there anything that you would like me to play?"

His eyes lit up and he reached over and grabbed some papers, placing them in front of me, "I would like you to play this piece. Is it alright if I sing it while you play? I want to know how it sounds."

"Sure," I said and looked at the title.

_Music of the Night_

My eyes widened slightly and I read the title again.

'He wants me to play _Music of the Night_? And he wants to sing while I play. Dear Lord! I might faint!' I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the keys. And as I started to play, the Phantom started to sing.

_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation_

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination_

_Silently the senses abandon their defenses_

I sighed slightly as he sang. His voice was so beautiful, so entrancing. I could barely keep my focus. His voice made me want to fall asleep

'Fall asleep in his arms, you mean,' a part of my mind said. I mentally shook my head, 'Come on Scarlet, focus. Don't mess this up.'

_Slowly, gently night unfurls it's splendor_

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender_

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light_

_And listen to the music of the night_

I looked over at him, noticing his shut eyes. He looked so peaceful, so calm as he sang. I looked away and back down at the music sheet.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar_

_And you'll live as you've never lived before_

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you_

_hear it, feel it, secretly possess you,_

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind_

_In this darkness that you know you cannot fight_

_The darkness of the music of the night_

_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world_

_Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be_

_Only then can you belong to me_

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power of the music of the night_

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night_

I slowly took my hands off the piano keys and looked up at him. He opened his eyes and looked back at me, smiling.

'He's so cute when he smiles,' I thought.

"So, what did you think?" I asked.

"I think it was beautiful," he said. I felt my cheeks warm up, and I looked away, hoping he didn't notice me blush.

'Come on!' I thought, 'Stop acting so weird, Scarlet.'

"So," I started, "Is there anything that you would like me to play?"

He shook his head, "No, but is there any pieces that you know? I would love to hear them."

I smiled and placed my hands back on the keys. I closed my eyes as I started to play Primavera by Ludovico Einaudi (also on youtube, and it is very recommended that you listen to it). As I started to play, I imaged a long, winding road on a mountain side, and I was driving on it. The leaves of the trees seamed to blur together as I passed by. Next to the mountain there was a lake, full of crystal clear water and lonely fishermen, hoping that they will soon get a bite. As the music notes sped up, so did the speed of the car.

Then suddenly the sun was gone, and it was dark. I was still driving, but I couldn't see. I could sense that someone was next to me, but I couldn't turn my head and see who it was. I couldn't move at all. Only my fingers confined to play as I drove.

I was confused and scared. I had no idea what was going on or where I was. And then...

**CRASH!**

I gasped and opened my eyes, quickly standing up and stumbling back and away from the organ. I could feel my heart racing inside me as I used a nearby table for support. I could faintly hear someone saying something, and I looked up into the worried eyes of the Phantom, just before everything went dark.

_Please wake up._

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><p><strong>Well, there is chapter 12 you guys! I hope you liked it as much as I did.<strong>

**Please give me any advice on the story if you have any! It is very appreciated.**

**Please review and I hope you all have a good day!**

**Til next time!**


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